Weight loss for messed up metabolisms?

[howlongtilsummer]

After a bit of experimenting, I put on weight if I go over 1050, stay same on about 950-1050, lose if go below that.
Anyone else had their body screwed up by long covid or something else piling on the weight? Body is screwed up enough from covid infections, so need to tackle the post infection weight gain.

Tips for someone who now has a fair amount to lose, can't exercise and very limited energy to cook, bedbound some days and ltd freezer space? I've already cut out alcohol, biscuits, cheese, chocolate etc. I was hoping for something sustainable and realistic as have a fair amount to lose now.

Oh, and consultant at hospital on an unrelated matter casually commented on my weight and asked how if I stopped eating chips every night or tried to stick to 2,000 calories a day, it might help me. Do medical professionals start treating you differently if you're fat? I want to minimise getting any more sick.

Also, hopefully will cheer you up, @howlongtilsummer, if you're eating a low carb diet you don't have to cut out caffeine, and you can (even should!) eat cheese.

We're starting a new low carb Bootcamp on Monday, so why not come and join us? It lasts for 8 weeks.

The sign-up thread is here and it also has some useful information about what we can/can't at, as well as the ten rules.

We'll have to agree to disagree @BIWI
I don't know what your qualifications are around dietary advice, but somebody with multiple health issues should get medical advice and assistance. I don't like the pushing of a particular eating plan when someone is in a vulnerable state.

The simple fact is that you need a calorie deficit to lose weight. For a small number of people medical issues may mean this doesn't work for them and their medical issues need addressing first.

When I cut carbs I am meaning I am not eating white bread, rice or pasta. I will eat Wholegrain versions in smaller portions. You don’t have to cut you can swap the type and reduce the portion sizes.

But why? They're usually higher in calories, yes they have more fibre but they're not magic. Without calorie control no one is going to lose weight by swapping white carbs to brown.

Why not just cut the portions and keep the enjoyable type of rice?

I don't like the pushing of a particular eating plan ...

then

The simple fact is that you need a calorie deficit to lose weight ...

But that's a fact. You can low carb your way to being morbidly obese if you wanted to.

That's not the point I was making @Vegetus

@Vegetus correct me if I am wrong but refined carbs are low nutrition calories, low cost versions have usually had all the nutrients stripped and perhaps more expensive ones have lots of vitamins and minerals added to give them some nutritional value but even so, they are low on fibre, high on sugar, low iron etc. I can eat the more natural versions with their original nutrients or a higher calorie, less nutrient dense version, so I am going to pick the better options, because I want to. I have IBS and it really helps my digestion tbh. Both are processed but one is processed less than the other

Not everyone can do this on a low budget but you can make Wholemeal versions taste just as nice but they don’t look as appealing. I just checked and brown long grain rice is 50p more than white in Tescos for 1kg. So if you are on a budget, eat refined just less of it, but if you aren’t, maybe choose Wholegrain as they just have better nutrition in them and fill you up for longer.

My calories matter enough to make small swaps, if I can eat more volume I will also always choose that.

Brown rice: 111 calories per 100g
white rice: 130 calories per 100g

I think it’s well known that refined carbs aren’t exactly nutritious and this is one issue with a diet based on them, because not only it can lead to weight gain from carb heavy diets, they aren’t a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Carbs are not bad, I don’t think that. I just don’t base my meals around refined carbs anymore. I used to and was always in that state of shaky hunger attacks

Hi @howlongtilsummer

Have you tried upping your calories over a couple of weeks?

I don't think calorie counting sounds right for you just now with everything else going on. I am the same height and similar size to you though and I am calorie counting, and I'm losing more while increasing calories - ~1500 or slightly less a day.

Are you on any medication which could affect you? It really sounds like talking to your doctor is the best move.

I hope you're having a restful weekend

Thanks. I've reduced my carbs and cut out pasta completely (cannot trust myself to do portion control with pasta). I eat whole meal bread and rice, but not that much. I could cut down a bit more, but not sure I want to cut it out - I like fruit! I've tried to separate out carbs/protein in most meals, so that if I'm having chicken, I'll have it with vegetables and might have couscous/rice with salad at lunch. The few slices of bread I eat a week are the exception - when I need something quick and filling - scrambled egg on toast, half a sandwich etc.

@howlongtilsummer I don’t think you need to cut carbs more than you have this sounds good, you are eating whole grain but if you are still gaining weight you do need to speak to a a health care professional, as this doesn’t seem right!

Hope your diet continues to be successful.

In the past when I've had a lot less to lose, I've been on more calories than now. I always (naively?) assumed it became harder to lose weight, the less you had to go. Sometimes changing things up a bit helped for the end bit, when weight stagnated. I could even understand staying stagnant now, but putting weight on seems crazy. I did experiment a bit and upped the calories, which is how I got to know where I could lose weight, but it does seem really off, and apparently is not working anymore anyway.

I've picked up another bug from kid's nursery, so feeling rough today, craving comfort food...and. feeling so. damn. hungry! Tempted to say sod it. The only med I'm on is HRT (about 8 months). Also have adenomyosis (diagnosed shortly before HRT) - assumed this was linked to peri menopause - would this affect hormones and metabolism so much?

I tried to look at previous blood tests on NHS app as a poster mentioned thyroid and wanted to check - I'm sure I've been able to see old tests before, but it will only show latest (about a month ago). Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong with the app? Bloods show inflammation.

I can call the GP and ask for more tests - it's on the day emergency only in the middle of trying to get kids ready on days I am able - not sure how seriously 'help, my diet's not working' will be taken though, but worth a try! I've pretty much lost hearing in one ear and between GP and long covid clinic, that's taken nearly two years to take seriously and actually refer. Realise how excuses driven this post sounds, but genuinely want to find something that works, especially whilst I have a reprieve from severe nausea (hunger makes my nausea worse).

@FarTooFat thanks for taking the time to reply. So pleased for you that you recovered and also gives me hope! Hope you recover from your paranosmia too.

@BIWI you've got skin in the game with your low carb bootcamp threads. What are your qualifications in this field?

If you've read the Bootcamp threads, you'll see that beyond 20 years' worth of low carbing, (doing it, reading about it, helping others to do it) I have no other credentials. I'm always open about that.

I post a disclaimer about this every time I start a new Bootcamp.

What are yours?

I have none. I don't profess to have any expertise other than I have dieted successfully at various times as an adult and struggled at others for various reasons. I've lost weight without the need to eliminate/restrict any major food groups in extremis, by reducing my overall calorie intake. My posts on this thread have encouraged the OP to seek medical advice before going on a diet because she has complex health issues and is in a vulnerable place.

Weight loss is down to a calorie deficit. It is that simple. Your previous post directed at me scoffed at that. Even though it's a fact. Eat less and move more will make many of us a lot healthier. Restricting what you eat to the extent you are not eating things you enjoy eating is a route to failure. Carbs are a source of energy and part of a balanced diet.

... and I have never said that they weren't.

@NigelHarmansNewWife yes everyone has said they are a source of energy, but there are some carbs that are better than others.

You can make a decision whether you want to eat 300 calories of white bread a day, tastes nice, but those 2 slices won’t fill you up for long and have been artificially fortified, or a load of veg (also carbs) which is less calories and more volume and better nutrition. Or Wholegrain versions which keep you fuller for longer etc etc.

‘cutting out a food group’ is not so much restricting its cutting out refined processed foods to swap them for better ones. People with insulin issues are told to do this so it’s not new or made up science

I 'scoffed' at you @NigelHarmansNewWife because you said "I don't like the pushing of a particular kind of eating plan" and then went on to do precisely that!!!

I’m the same if I eat more than 1200 I’m putting on weight. Eat 1000 stay the same must push below 1000 to lose maybe an oz a day. I’m 13 stone so not like it’s not to lose. I’m mostly bedbound to which doesn’t help and peri so all things combined.

the only way I can lose weight is to be starving hungry all the time. Yes I have blips where I throw it all in eat 2000 a day then put on 8 pounds in a Week that take me best part of a year to shift. It’s so depressing. Following with interest!

No need for the quotation marks, it's exactly what you did. First and foremost, the OP should seek medical advice. You know damn well what I was getting at. Fad diets aren't a magic bullet, they just mess people up even more.

I consider my diet to be low carb, usually under 100g per day, give or take. I used to be a lot lower but this is where Im sitting at the moment.

Im also in a calorie deficit and its the calorie deficit which gets the weight off me, but its the 'low carb' which makes it easier (not easy) to stick to

But my breakfast every morning is 270 cals of pure carb.

Well not 'pure' , there is fat and protein too but mostly carb

Oh dear. Low carb eating is not faddy. No need to perpetuate that myth.

@NigelHarmansNewWife hold on, low carb diets are used for diabetes. They are not fads. The NHS promotes low fat diets for high cholesterol and low carb for diabetes. They are scientifically proven to help with weight loss and metabolic disorders.

This is not promoting keto, that’s different. I don’t agree with trying keto if you are obviously going to struggle, I think it’s completely unrealistic way of living for most people however even some HCP’s promote keto type diets for some health conditions (lipodema, refractory epilepsy)

I don’t think people actually understand what carbs are so they hear low carb and feel all funny about it. A lot of modern day carbs are basically nutrition less, empty rubbish calories that are ultra processed and full of chemicals. Avoiding them is usually what most low carb people do. They also don’t base their meals around carbs, carbs will be the smaller or veggie portion of the meal. Carbs as the main part of meals were needed for energy when 50 years ago most jobs were physical and people were very poor, but they aren’t as much now, so basing all your meals around carbs for sustenance is not working out too well, we are in an obesity epidemic. People aren’t getting overweight from eating meat and vegetables. They are getting overweight from eating fatty meats, dairy and UP carbs with added sugars and salts.

this is directly from diabetes U.K.

Most of us who are overweight are at higher risk of developing diabetes. It is not a bad diet to follow

Why follow a low carb diet?Carbohydrate is the nutrient which has the greatest effect in terms of raising blood sugar levels and requires the most insulin to be taken or be produced by the body.
Lowering sugar levels is clearly a benefit for people with diabetes. Lower need for insulin is also particularly useful as lowering insulin in the body can reduce insulin resistance which can help towards reversing type 2 diabetes.
Insulin is also the fat storage hormone in the body, so reducing insulin in the body with a low carb diet can help with losing weight.
Benefits of low carb dietsThe benefits of a low carb diet typically include:

• Lower HbA1c
• Improved weight loss
• Less chance of high sugar levels occurring
• Lower risk of severe hypos
• More energy through the day
• Less cravings for sugary and snack foods
• Clearer thinking
• Lower risk of developing long-term health complications

What counts as low carb?Low carb is a flexible way of eating that allows you as an individual to choose a level of carbohydrate that works well for your diabetes and lifestyle. The following brackets are used to categorise daily carbohydrate intake:

• Moderate carbohydrate: 130g to 225g of carbs
• Low carbohydrate: under 130g of carbs
• Very low carbohydrate: under 30g of carbs (also known as a ketogenic diet)

Generally speaking, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the more likely you are to lose weight and the lower sugar levels you are likely to have. It’s important you choose a level of carbohydrate that works well for you.

How to follow a low carb dietA healthy low carb diet should have the following features:

• Strong vegetable intake
• Modest increase in fat intake from natural sources
• Moderate protein intake
• Low reliance upon processed food, sugar and grains